CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Bulls came into the season thinking they were poised to contend for a playoff spot. The plan did not unfold the way they envisioned, and now, they have a new leader in the front office.
The Chicago Bulls have appointed Arturas Karnisovas, former general manager of the Denver Nuggets, to oversee their basketball operations, according to a source close to the situation on Thursday night.
The individual, who validated reports from various sources, requested anonymity as the decision has not yet been officially announced.
It was anticipated that John Paxson, a longtime executive, would transition into an advisory role. The future roles of general manager Gar Forman and coach Jim Boylen remained uncertain.
This action enables the Bulls to have their new chief executive ready if the season resumes following the suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Karnisovas, who is 48 years old, was a star player at Seton Hall and had a successful career internationally, earning two Olympic bronze medals playing for Lithuania. He was employed in basketball operations for the NBA from 2003 to 2008 and worked as an international scout for the Houston Rockets for five years. In 2013, he joined Denver’s front office and was promoted to the position of general manager for the Nuggets four years later, with Tim Connelly being promoted from GM to president of basketball operations.
Karnisovas played a significant part in Denver’s selection of two-time All-Star center Nikola Jokic in the 2014 draft’s second round as the 41st pick overall. He also had a hand in the recent lottery picks of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. Along with Connelly, Karnisovas has helped build an esteemed international scouting operation.
With a 43-22 record, Denver is leading the Northwest division and is third in the Western Conference.
During the All-Star break in Chicago, there were speculations about the Bulls making changes to their front office. They believed they had a young team capable of competing for a playoff spot. However, when the season was paused, they were 11th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 22-43.
After running the front office for 17 years, Paxson, who hit the championship-winning 3-pointer for Chicago against Phoenix in 1993, is stepping aside.
Following Jerry Krause’s resignation due to a failed rebuild after the Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen era, he assumed the role of general manager in 2003.
In May 2009, Paxson was promoted to the position of vice president of basketball operations. At the same time, Forman, who had joined the Bulls as a scout in 1998, assumed the role of GM.
